System, method and program for identifying web information related to subjects in a program broadcast

Abstract

System, method and program for obtaining WWW information of interest to a user. The WWW information is related to a subject in a television, radio or other type of program which is broadcast. Before the program is broadcast, a plurality of documents are stored in a user device. Each of the documents has a plurality of categories. While the program is broadcast, a user indicates to the user device interest in a subject in the program currently being broadcast and selects one of the documents. In response, the user device displays the one document, and the user selects one of the categories in the one document. The user device determines a time that the user indicated the interest in the subject and transmits the time to a computer associated with the broadcast. In response, the computer correlates the time to an associated hyperlink referencing WWW information related to the subject, and transmits the associated hyperlink to the user device. In response, the user device correlates the hyperlink to the one category. Subsequently, the user device displays the hyperlink in association with the one category. If the user selects the hyperlink, the user device downloads and displays a web page or web file addressed by the hyperlink.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of obtaining WWW information of interest to a user, the WWW information being related to a subject currently being presented in a program currently being broadcast, the method comprising the steps of:
 while the program is broadcast, a client computing device receiving from a user (a) a selection indicating interest by the user in the subject currently being presented in the program currently being broadcast and (b) a selection of a document electronically stored on the client computing device to which to correlate information correlated to the subject, and in response, the client computing device sending a request via a network to a server computer for information correlated to the subject, the request identifying the program and an approximate time that the user indicated the interest in the program, and in response, the client computing device receiving from the server computer via the network a hyperlink for information correlated to the subject based on the identified program and the approximate time that the user indicated interest in the program, and in response, the user device correlating the hyperlink to the selected document; and 
 the client computing device displaying the selected document and displaying the hyperlink at a first position in the selected document and subsequently receiving a selection from the user indicating a second, different position in the displayed document to position the hyperlink, and in response, the client computer device displaying the hyperlink at the second position indicated by the user in the selected document instead of the first position, and making a record that the hyperlink is correlated to the second position indicated by the user in the selected document; and wherein 
 the selected document is one of a multiplicity of documents electronically stored on the client computer device which were alternatively selectable by the user individually to which to correlate the information correlated to the subject and to which the hyperlink and the position of the hyperlink are correlated. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the program is broadcast via a television channel, and the request identifies the program in part by identifying the channel of the television program. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the server computer has a list of hyperlinks cross-referenced to corresponding elapsed times from a start of the program, and the hyperlink received by the client computing device was obtained from the list based on the identified channel and the approximate time. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  further comprising the subsequent step of the client computing device receiving from the user a selection of the hyperlink, and in response, the client computing device downloading via a network a web page or web file addressed by the hyperlink and displaying the web page or web file. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the program is a television broadcast. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein the multiplicity of documents were previously created by the user without knowledge of the program being broadcast. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the selected document is not a web page. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein the selected document is not a markup language document. 
     
     
       9. A computer program product for obtaining WWW information of interest to a user, the WWW information being related to a subject currently being presented in a broadcast program currently being broadcast, the computer program product comprising:
 one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and computer program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution in a client computing device, the computer program instructions comprising; 
 program instructions to receive from a user (a) a selection indicating interest by the user in the subject currently being presented in the broadcast program currently being broadcast and (b) a selection of a document electronically stored on the client computing device to which to correlate information correlated to the subject; 
 program instructions, responsive to the user selections, to send a request via a network to a server computer for information correlated to the subject, the request identifying the broadcast program and an approximate time that the user indicated the interest in the program; 
 program instructions to receive from the server computer via the network a hyperlink for information correlated to the subject based on the identified broadcast program and the approximate time that the user indicated interest in the broadcast program; 
 program instructions to correlate the hyperlink to the selected document; and 
 program instructions to display the selected document and display the hyperlink at a first position in the selected document and subsequently receive a selection from the user indicating a second, different position in the displayed document to position the hyperlink, and in response, to display the hyperlink at the second position indicated by the user in the selected document and make a record that the hyperlink is correlated to the second position indicated by the user in the selected document; and wherein 
 the selected document is one of a multiplicity of documents electronically stored on the client computer device which were alternatively selectable by the user individually to which to correlate the information correlated to the subject and to which the hyperlink and the position of the hyperlink are correlated. 
 
     
     
       10. The computer program product of  claim 9  wherein the broadcast program is broadcast via a television channel, and the request identifies the broadcast program in part by identifying the channel of the television program. 
     
     
       11. The computer program product of  claim 9  wherein the server computer has a list of hyperlinks cross-referenced to corresponding elapsed times from a start of the broadcast program, and the hyperlink received by the client computing device was obtained from the list based on the identified channel and the approximate time. 
     
     
       12. The computer program product of  claim 9  further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive from the user a selection of the hyperlink, and in response, to download via a network a web page or web file addressed by the hyperlink and display the web page or web file. 
     
     
       13. The computer program product of  claim 9  wherein the broadcast program is a television broadcast. 
     
     
       14. The computer program product of  claim 9  wherein the multiplicity of documents were previously created by the user without knowledge of the program being broadcast. 
     
     
       15. The computer program product of  claim 9  wherein the selected document is not a web page. 
     
     
       16. A computer system product for obtaining WWW information of interest to a user, the WWW information being related to a subject currently being presented in a broadcast program currently being broadcast, the computer system comprising:
 one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising: 
 program instructions to receive from a user (a) a selection indicating interest by the user in the subject currently being presented in the broadcast program currently being broadcast and (b) a selection of a document electronically stored on the client computing device to which to correlate information correlated to the subject; 
 program instructions, responsive to the user selections, to send a request via a network to a server computer for information correlated to the subject, the request identifying the broadcast program and an approximate time that the user indicated the interest in the program; 
 program instructions to receive from the server computer via the network a hyperlink for information correlated to the subject based on the identified broadcast program and the approximate time that the user indicated interest in the broadcast program; 
 program instructions to correlate the hyperlink to the selected document; and 
 program instructions to display the selected document and display the hyperlink at a first position in the selected document and subsequently receive a selection from the user indicating a second, different position in the displayed document to position the hyperlink, and in response, to display the hyperlink at the second position indicated by the user in the selected document and make a record that the hyperlink is correlated to the second position indicated by the user in the selected document; and wherein 
 the selected document is one of a multiplicity of documents electronically stored on the client computer device which were alternatively selectable by the user individually to which to correlate the information correlated to the subject and to which the hyperlink and the position of the hyperlink are correlated. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer system of  claim 16  wherein the broadcast program is broadcast via a television channel, and the request identifies the broadcast program in part by identifying the channel of the television program. 
     
     
       18. The computer system of  claim 16  wherein the server computer has a list of hyperlinks cross-referenced to corresponding elapsed times from a start of the broadcast program, and the hyperlink received by the client computing device was obtained from the list based on the identified channel and the approximate time. 
     
     
       19. The computer system of  claim 16  further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to receive from the user a selection of the hyperlink, and in response, to download via a network a web page or web file addressed by the hyperlink and display the web page or web file. 
     
     
       20. The computer system of  claim 16  wherein the selected document is not a markup language document.